Friday, November 30, 2012

We have appealed to you time and time again to stop the abuses. To stop those that are terrorising our kids and trying to frighten the parents. We have asked you time and time again to stop the match fixing and fraudulent selections. We have asked you to take action according to your own Constitution but you have ignored us.

Instead you step up your attacks on us and protect the criminals. Unconstitutional sackings with no charges and no rights of appeal. Doctored minutes and no accounting. More and more attacks to besmirch the reputation of people who have merely asked you to do the right thing instead of hiding the crimes.

Return the Associations to the public. It does not belong to you or your parents. It belongs to all of us.

It is very reasonable for us to ask you to return the money. It belongs to us. And we are not vindictive people for all we want is a just solution. But I even hear some people saying that you are pushing for the delisting of MCF thinking that with the delisting you will all get clean away with the loot. That is just your self delusion talking. It will not happen that way.

Let me tell you what I think will happen from my feedback. If the accounts are not clean, then it will be brought to a higher authority. You really do not want this. So stop panicking and sit down and think. Your problems will not go away even if you succeed in getting MCF delisted. In fact your real nightmares will have only just begun.

So solve it within the family. Come clean, offer to repay the money and then step down. Return the Associations to the real chess players and not to the con artists. You have had your run. Be grateful that some of us still want to give you guys a way out inspite of all the terrible things you have inflicted us all with. But not for much longer. We are all getting fed up with your gangster ways.

Like Peter said. Do that or face the full consequences of the law. Crazy thing for him to say. KLCA will be investigated too. Have you thought this through Peter or is that what you really want?

And he dares to shame the game we all love by calling himself a chess player. Stupid boy.

A full apology by all those involved and then stopping the intimidation will help us mollify those that want to see you all in prison. Take the exit now before it is too late. That is your only way out once you think about it.

That is just my considered opinion as a chess coach. But it's really up to you. After all, what do I know right?

"We cannot sow thistles and reap clover. Nature simply does not run things that way. She goes by cause and effect." -- Napoleon Hill

For today let us look at the 3 small toy guns of MCF. Haslinda, Jimmy and Peter. Between them we have officials, players, organisers and trainers. So what do they have in common that allows them to band together the way they have? And what is the net effect of their collusion?

All 3 claim to be chess players. I assume this means they truly understand the nature of the game with that statement. So lets see.

What is the actual situation on the board today? The accounts. This matter has even brought forth threats of the involvement of MACC from the committee members themselves. Competitor analysis. Chess. The first evaluation necessary for resolution is whether the threat is real or not. That means you have to assess if the persons issuing the threat has the skills and knowledge to execute or not. You also have to assess if bluff and more threats are going to intimidate the opponent or going to increase their resolve.

So you see, you need more weapons that just what the gangsters have if simple intimidation won't work. I have tried suggesting the ability to reason but it is falling on deaf ears.

My evaluation is that the presentation of kindergarten level accounts and then trying to bully all into closing their eyes and just ratifying the accounts and implicating themselves is not going to fly. I suggested playing nice and coming clean and offering to pay back the missing money. But that is not their evaluation. They think all parents are easy meat. But maybe they are unable to evaluate at all. Maybe intimidation is all they know. Maybe that is just their level of chess understanding.

And then we have Jimmy the kup chai. The back door artist who just cheated the entire chess community by playing on the Olympiad team. What is his interest in this matter that he gets so offended on the behalf of MCF? Could it be that he realises that if his supporters there cannot allow back door entries anymore then he is finished? Is his kamikaze attempt by highlighting himself an attempt to save MCF or just the MCF that has protected him for all these years from the many many many offenses he has committed?

Now lets come to Peter. He is more interesting. Official, organiser and trainer. What is his beef? Could it be that he is worried that if MACC gets involved then it is but a short step to KLCA itself being investigated? And that may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Then comes Haslinda, the one in charge of Melaka and now the acting treasurer of MCF since the aborted attempt to fix Megat. Hasn't she got enough on her plate just trying to get the accounts together? Why is she trying to fix FGM without the approval of the committee? Why so desperate?

Anyway that is all speculation as to their true motive. The key is in understanding competitor analysis. Are the threats real and do you have the weaponry to fight for a win. Or is it best that you fight for is a draw and offer to come clean and pay back the money. That all depends on whether you think your opponents know how to read a set of accounts or not. That depends on whether you think you can bluff and intimidate yourself out of trouble or not. That also depends if you have the skills to navigate this position or not. Very hard if all you know is bluff and scare tactics.

So what do all 3 have in common? This is what I see. The first thing is that they are not very bright. They are sacrificing themselves for the much bigger gun who is actually behind this by drawing all the fire to themselves.

But there is more. Look even deeper. Would I be overstretching if I say that the key feature of these people is that they cannot learn? Think about it. If it is money you want, then learn how to do business properly. Then you get money legally. If you want to be a chess Champion then learn how to play chess. If you want everyone to think you are a great trainer then the answer is even simpler. Get your own results and people will flock to you.

Why the need to cheat and bring all this grief to yourself?

Think about it. FGM has offered all the information here. I have talked about competitor analysis and a host of other things. I have even shared my training methods here so they have a heads up and be able to catch up. But still they do not want to learn. What more can I do to help them? They want the short cuts. They want the easy money and the back doors.

And then the worst is they want to control Malaysian chess and knock out any other strong players by the back doors and the unconstitutional bannings. They want to take the money that belongs to the public and then try to intimidate us into silence by attacking our children.

The perfect storm. Corrupt officials, weak players and weak minded trainers. That is the cause. Together they form that glass ceiling to stop the progress of Malaysian chess. And that is the effect.

Isn't that the truth of the matter?

Chess, the mind sport which is supposed to develop thinking, to make you smart is now hijacked to make people deaf and dumb.

And the answer to all this speculation will be whether Kindergarten accounts or the real accounts will be presented. It will also depend on whether they can succeed with a higher level of intimidation or not. So let us all wait for the answer. It is coming soon. Dec 2nd and I hear AGM on Jan 20th. So what will they do?

Will the rule of law prevail or will MCF turn into a truly terrorist organisation? That was the question right? And we are all waiting for the answer.

Of course most of us who are interested in the development of Malaysian chess is focused on the accounts of MCF. This is simply because every cent there belongs to the entire chess community and is supposed to be used for chess development. Heavy leakages there means no money to develop.

But certain people in MCF wants to discuss my post asking if MCF uses terror to stop people from asking real questions. Ref: Here. And in doing so they are now showing every one the answer to my question. I have replied to the accusations here and here. So MCF has brought out their kamikaze small guns to play here and they have brought out their peashooters in the form of NF6 and friend on facebook. And so these people have stuck their necks out and are now in the line of future investigations when it happens. What is their real interest in this matter? We can speculate a little in my next post. So let MCF try to terrorise FGM at their meeting on Dec 2nd. Good luck to them.

Allow me to juxtaposition here what the people who are really looking for improvement and change are discussing. One of the points brought up by the State Officials at UTP was funds for development at State level. And it was brought up that the State Government can fund if Chess is in Sukma. Ref: Here.

What I said to them was that they have raised very good points which should be discussed further and so I arranged for a meeting in KL on the 24th with other people sick of the rot and MCF meetings to try to terrorise people from asking real questions. That meeting was continued on the 25th after I left.

Let me put down the tentative summary here what was discussed there. The first thing is that MCF as the national body should have representation from as many States as possible. As we can see from the Constitution here there are about 10 spots on the committee. So what was suggested was that those States that are most active and have extra manpower should have a seat each. This will ensure that the State's voices are heard not like now. With the States involved there will also be oversight over the money as that is also the money for their development.

As you can also see from the Constitution, MCF is also responsible for the development of the officials. So the States can take turns going to the International Tournaments currently barred to them to increase their exposure in International arenas. They can also take turns running MCF tournaments to gain experience in organising bigger events.

So why is it important that Associations with extra manpower are on the committee of MCF? Funds again. MCF tournaments should make money for MCF and not outsourced to cronies for kickbacks. The States can supply the manpower for MCF events. MCF makes money and in return is able to develop the States further.

Once all this is done, it is believed that it will be a much smaller step to ask for Chess to be included in Sukma. Right now MCF is a joke.

So this was the other meeting. People looking for solutions to bring Malaysian Chess to the next level. Compare this to the meetings held by the current MCF. How to fix Megat and look for scapegoats to cover their ass? How to fix FGM so no one will dare question again how they enrich themselves with our money in the future?

Remember I said that I was not taking sides? Ref: Here. The information on this blog was for everyone to improve. But I hear that things are becoming much more nasty and those people who have stolen and terrorised us for years do not look like they want to change or improve. They seem to think that by escalating their terror they can drown out the voices asking about where the money has gone.

I am changing my mind here. I think I want to take sides. To me I can see clearer now where the future of Malaysian chess will lie. Where we celebrate our chess warriors who win fair and square and not the banning by a lousy trainer who thinks he is Kuala Lumpur and who probably deserves an investigation into his State Association funds as well and the backdoor player who cannot cut it anymore but still deludes himself that he is Malaysia. It seems more and more obvious now to me that those guys have been responsible for the rot in Malaysian chess and they still want to continue to exploit the Associations for their selfish gains. At least for me I am more convinced now where the better future is after attending that discussion.

I side with those looking for solutions and for the way forward. I reject the gangsters and their ways.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Lets turn the clock back a little. Directly after the MCF meeting on the 9th November was UTP. So I went along to visit and see old friends since the event was in Perak. By that time I was already getting some snippets of information of the shananigans at the meeting on the 9th. As I was standing around one guy came up to introduce himself. He is an official of a State Association. As we talked, mention was made about the meeting on the 9th. I was pleasantly surprised at the detail of his knowledge of what took place at the meeting so I decided to compare notes.

So this is the gist as I later confirmed with other sources. At that meeting efforts were made by certain people to put the blame on the new treasurer. A guy by the name of Megat who I don't really know. Anyway the guy came in to help around Asian Amateur time after Mr Tan stepped down. So the talk centered around Megat for a while. How can these certain people try to pin all the missing money on the new Treasurer? Crazy yes?

I gave this opinion. I said maybe some minor fault can be layed at Megats feet for allowing those people access to the money without proper authorisation from the full committee. But he was a new guy just trying to help out. So I said the main focus should be on the committee members who took and spent the money. I think this is generally agreed by the people I have discussed this with.

The next point and this was also brought up by another person present at UTP who is also a State Official. He said that there should be a role for the major culprit who all have identified and we should try to settle the matter within the family and not put the man behind bars as some others have suggested. To this I said that is also my opinion at this time. But I speak for myself only. The point is anyone can file charges once the accounts are presented and by any one person if they are not satisfied with it. All it needs is an objection recorded with COS and then later to the MACC. So all are now waiting for the accounts to come out.

This is such a sensitive matter that some committee members even refuse to attend the meeting for fear of being implicated. Anyway these certain people were unable to get consensus by those present to use Megat as the scapegoat with objections from several quarters. I heard one of the reasons given was that this just won't fly. Everybody knows who took the money. So how can they blame Megat for this now?

You see what I mean? This is an MCF meeting k. This is what they discuss. Who to fix to divert blame. And even the State Association officials know about what took place. Cartoon show.

I have spoken to several people since and they all concur. There is no way in hell to reconcile the accounts. Those people who took the money just did not have the authority.

So how do we keep this in the family?
I said the only way out is for the people who took the money to own up and give an undertaking to pay the money illicitly taken back. Without this undertaking, anyone who ratifies the accounts will be culpable to the same offence. Now this is the crux.

So what will they do?
Well they can own up and pay back the money they have taken or they can try to bluff and intimidate their way out. It has worked for 30 plus years so why shouldn't it work now?

Btw, Haslinda volunteered to be the new Treasurer and do the accounts. Does that name sound familiar? Ref: Here. So what will she and her henchmen do? We are all waiting for their next move. Another tidbit given to me since yesterday is that she is also the one in charge of Melaka. The rumour is that the amounts there even surpass Asian Amateur. And I have heard that the sponsor of Asian Amateur said that he cannot get a clear accounting of RM40K.

So this is big. And this is explosive. And this is the position now. So do you guys want to play nice or do you still want the law involved. Understanding now Peter and Jimmy? Funny thing, I heard that one of your fellow player was at the meeting. Didn't he give you guys an accurate evaluation of the position? You see the position now is not if you guys are guilty or not by the people in the know. The question now is what to do with you guys since you are caught with your pants down.

And there is more. I attended a meeting in KL on Sat and I understand another meeting took place on Sunday to follow up. Things are different now. Now we have the internet, now we share information so that your dirty tricks won't work anymore.

The ball is now on your court. Softball or hard ball. You get to choose. Do you still want to try to terrorise FGM which has not worked after all these years or do you want to settle the real issues before Malaysian chess today. You see guys, I am just the messenger. What I put on this blog is from people who are fed up of your bullying and criminal ways. All I do here besides that is share from my own experience so they don't fall into the same trap as I did when I tried to help like Megat. Imagine trying to fix Megat so blatantly. Have you guys no shame? And you still want to try to look like hero's? You won't look so convincing in prison garbs.

My suggestion is that you guys begin with a sincere apology to the Malaysian Chess Community with a promise to change your ways. More dirty tricks is just going to incense feelings and some one may get pissed enough and go against my suggestion to give you guys a way out. Or I may change my own mind given enough reasons.

Thank you for publishing the first part of your reply email to the list of officials kept informed of the current situation of Malaysian chess on Jimmy's blog. That is very considerate of you.

So let me address your point of you being copied. It is normal courtesy to copy the person that you are writing about. The proper protocol to want to stop further mailings is to request by return email not to be copied anymore. This is what your Najib did and his email was removed from another list for instance. But you have never done that. Yes, I do read some of your comments on Jimmy's blog from time to time. But as you know Jimmy's blog is full of toyols so I do not have the time to authenticate if it is really you or just looks like you and sound dumb like you. But since I think it could be really you this time please consider your email removed from that list.

To the real Peter wherever you are. In case someone has impersonated you and you are offended by your removal from the list, please write in directly to me and I will add you back on ok?

So that is you. About Jimmy, there is no need to email him. First of all I do not know his email and I really can't be bothered to find out. He is just someone who has cheated the entire chess community and grabbed a place on the Malaysian squad by fraud. So nobody significant. But what is really the point of including him anyway? Jimmy is one of my most avid readers. Sometimes he stays up nights just to read my blog. I am sure if he really wanted to be included on the list he would have written to me directly. Is that point answered Peter, or do you want me to explain again in simpler English?

As for the rest, they also can use the normal protocol and ask to be removed if and when they so wish. But what tickles me Peter is how do you know that Fide or ACF is not talking to me? I hear that there are Fide development funds involved that is not accounted for. There are ACF funds involved that is not accounted for etc etc etc. So are they not on a need to know basis? And why have they not asked to be removed? Can't you even do any abc level thinking anymore Peter?

And how do you know that Dato or any of the rest isn't reading my emails or talking to me? That is why I keep telling you guys to just speak for yourself. The rest are all big boys and girls. Not like you and Jimmy.

I am looking forward to being invited to the MCF AGM to answer all these questions and address the slander that you and Jimmy have been using so freely because you think certain people in MCF will protect you as they have done for all these years. But my friend, I think this time they themselves could be on trial soon and may be too busy to help you guys any further.

Do read my upcoming posts on this blog Peter or whoever you are. That is my best advice to you if you do not want to go down with them too. I would be more worried about who they might implicate when the chips are down if I were you.

It is not so nice when the people you guys attack can defend themselves yes Peter and Jimmy? You are too used to bullying children and frightened parents for too many many years now. Now I think you are beginning to see what it is like on the receiving end yes?

Why are you so scared that people are following what you guys are doing? Have you done anything wrong? I sure hope you can substantiate the allegations on your email to my list Peter. You know who is reading right?

Note: I think this will be a really interesting case as Peter is suggesting using the law etc. I really would like to see this case, of the thief running to the police for action as the victim refuses to be robbed, happening. Or the gangsters running to the cops because their victims refuses to be intimidated. So, so so so dumb. What has your type of chess done to you guys?

Wow! MCF has even replied to Jimmy and Peter's dumb request. I look forward to the outcome of that meeting and the opportunity to challenge this at the coming AGM. Here. This is an interesting development as MCF does not reply to the many many questions asked to her even by her own officials. Care to figure out what is going on?

So lets try to reason some things out here first and then we look at the reasoning that comes out of the MCF meeting.

So I said Peter thinks he is KL and now I say that Jimmy thinks he is Malaysia. And I asked the question, is MCF a terrorist organisation? A question is a question and can be answered in many ways; by a reasoned reply or by the action in response. But lets not preempt that answer today. Lets allow MCF to deliberate on that.

But let us apply some reasoning here in the meantime. So I said Jimmy is a kup chai and Peter is a lousy trainer. And I continue saying it. So what? That is my opinion of them and they have stated their opinion of me. But lets focus on Jimmy's letter here first. So when did Jimmy become Malaysia? Lets use an analogy from football here to see if we can make this picture a little clearer. On the field, in the tournament, can the players appeal to the Football Federation and say that the fans have booed them and ask that only fans that cheer be allowed into the stadium? So stupid!!

Jimmy says he wants to challenge me. And I have answered his challenge many times. But let me repeat it here again as he is a little slow. I think you are a kup chai Jimmy. The direct answer to my challenge is to go into the field and show the chess community that you are not and make me sound stupid. End of case and the end of FGM blog. My readers will leave as FGM will have zero credibility.

So let me make it easier for you Jimmy since you say you are keen for the challenge. Tell us which local tournaments you are going to and the real Malaysian players will meet you there. I will also try to come with Mark just like we did at Datmo rapid, despite us deciding to lay off chess for this year till after STPM, just so you are given the opportunity to show us all what a Ferrari you really are; so you have a chance of stamping your superiority and make me suck eggs. Btw, how did you do there?

Tell you what, I'll even give you this as a another concession to encourage you further. Use Hamid or Najib as your arbiter and you can even bring along Peter to play tag team if you want. All I request is that you allow Mark to finish his STPM before we start the clock. Agreed? We can start in January. How about it?

No more back doors and no more crying to mummy. No more saying that you cannot make it because Malaysia let you down, Dato let you down etc etc etc. You have been given a lot of chances and you are not allowed to steal the places from the better chess players here anymore.

But my curiosity is also peeked. You mean mummy has answered you boy, instead of giving you a spanking and asking you to grow up? Do keep us all informed of what mummy is going to do for you 2 little boys ok? Daddy is waiting for the answer too. Learn how to be a man, boys. Stop hiding under mummy's skirt. This is Daddy's best advice to you 2 kids.

Friday, November 23, 2012

They say that Malaysian Chess is like all other sports in Malaysia and that corruption and incompetence is rife everywhere.

I say, why look at the bad apples? Why don't we choose the path of the highest instead of the lowest common denominators? Look at squash for instance. Doesn't that show we have the talent but just need a good culture for the players to follow.

They say that I am involved in a power grab. I say illicit power has already been grabbed. Powers outside the Constitution. I also say that I am not looking for a post so how can I be involved in a power grab?

Note: Liars usually see the world through their own prism. Because they lie they think everyone else is the same as them. Open your eyes, not everyone is like you. Some just seek to learn the truth.

I acknowledge that some have given me information that I have used on this blog after verifying as best as I can the authenticity of the information. At UTP some people came up to me and spoke as if I belong to one camp. Actually I belong to no camp. The opinions stated here are my own. Observe this. When Greg supported selection, I supported him in the effort. When Greg turned, I removed my support. I support issues and not people.

They say I have a personal vendetta against Jimmy and now Peter.

Actually I have never spoken to the boy before. It is his back door antics that I am against. Make no mistake, if Jimmy comes back to play chess again I will defend his right if he has not broken the rules. And if someone fixes the selection so that Jimmy cannot represent Malaysia despite his superior chess, I will write about that injustice here. So it is not personal.

As for Peter I met him once for a drink and thought for a moment that maybe people had pegged him wrong. The very next day he wrote me a nasty email. He bans without grounds, he tried to intimidate an entire contingent and he has subverted the Association meant for KL to becoming his personal vehicle. Yet he pretends to be a good guy? And he actually thinks people cannot see through his antics.

Observe again.

Although certain people do call me and send me information via emails etc, I publish it for all to see. So how can I be taking sides? I just pass along the information that I think is genuine and I comment on public postings by Jimmy and parties. Doesn't it make sense that anyone can comment on any public posting or do you think they are the only ones that can have a say. Their arrogance and God complex is showing again.

So back to what this blog is about. All can read this blog. Jimmy, Greg, the opposition forces etc etc. So all can use the information to improve or not. If I only pass information and receive information from the new people that are seeking office then you can say I am biased. Remember I even helped Greg out when he was on the straight and narrow?

In actuality I do not know if the new people seeking posts are better or worse than the people they want to replace so FGM has not endorsed anyone. So the information available here is for everyone. Who knows, maybe Greg may decide that he will pay back all the money he has taken from MCF without proper authority. Who knows maybe Jimmy may have his IM title removed by Fide for his transgressions.

My point is the information is for everyone. It is up to them what they want to do with it. Just like it is up to you to choose a new committee or not. But at least you will not be doing it in the dark. So if someone wants a post ask him or her the questions raised here. Hear the answers for yourself and then make your own decision after having weighed out all the facts. Decision making. That is what chess is all about.

I reiterate. FGM does not endorse any candidate. I have no more information than what is presented here. You decide the MCF you want. I seek no post and I will accept no post even if offered. Is that absolutely clear now?

That is not for me. I find my fulfilment in helping our talented kids develop mental strength and a deeper understanding of the nature of strategy etc etc. I am just doing my part here to help, so that those that are genuinely interested in developing their chess and not getting free holidays, is given a chance and not killed off and sabotaged by the back room boys. You know who they are.

I share my experiences here because I have some knowledge of the type of dirty politics played by the Associations and the challengers are parents. I hope this helps to level the playing field when the actual rules of engagement is known to all parties. Healthy competition and informed choices. As chess players we need to know this before we move yes?

Now may the best man/lady win.

Good luck to all who are seeking public office. Serve to lead as Peter also said.

The last straw for Jimmy Liew is my article asking if MCF is a terrorist organisation. He is showing repugnance on their behalf as if it has something to do with him. That is fine. The whole of MCF is on trial now or hasn't he noticed? I wonder what will happen if the accounts is not ratified or if it is ratified but flawed. Will more skeletons come out of the closet?

It is very clear that the selection for the Olympiads was a fraud (I won't bother with the other stuff Jimmy is saying). It is clearly against the Constitution for open and fair selection. I welcome an MCF probe into itself to see if it has followed the rules. I ask MCF to open it's AGM to all stakeholders and all interested parties to attend and I will gladly answer questions there.

You see, those crooks on the link above can only do what they do because they find protection under this MCF instead of sanction. So you can fix selection, you can form a State Association that is not a State Association , you can ban without grounds and you can rob the Associations etc. All that can be done under this current MCF.

That is what this trial by the chess community is about. And I am willing to be a witness.

(A simple distraction like this will not work Jimmy. We are all chess players here. I have produced a National Junior and have placed a Junior on the senior squad via selection while you have only accomplished it via the back door. Different level of skills Jimmy).So I think the first thing to do is to ferret the crook/s out of MCF. Then all can get a fair and open hearing. After all crooks will defend their ilk right Jimmy? Is that what you want too Jimmy? An open and fair hearing by a clean arbiter? Is that what you stand for? Then lets examine the accounts together, clean out MCF and then we ask for a hearing by a new and fair MCF. Do you agree? No back door deals between crooks. An open and fair hearing/selection. Or do you only like fixed games?
ps: Oh by the way Peter, I don't know if you have noticed this difference between us in terms of skill. I back the player first and then I bring him into the senior squad by my training methods via open and fair selection. You did not even recognise your own player and promoted someone else's back door player instead. Then you came back quickly and claimed his title as your achievement after the fact. Then you let him down so badly at World Youth. And still you talk so big.

I do not write letters begging to coach the national players, they had come to me on their own volition and request till they and their parents were terrorised. See the difference? Results Peter, results. Get your own results. Don't steal from someone else's work and don't try to ban players better than the ones you can produce.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Sometimes I wonder where our leaders of this calibre have gone to. I get glimpses of the potential from time to time in the fire and spirit of our kids. Then I blink and when I look again it is gone. But I still believe that chess is a powerful tool to bring up leaders like this for Malaysia. But we must do it right. We must do it in such a way where both their ability to reason as well as their conscience is developed. Now it seems that Malaysian chess do neither.

Lets try this as a thinking exercise today. Let's try to reason this out. What is terrorism? Can we agree that it is an attempt by certain people to use extra constitutional means to force a change in a situation for their own benefit? Is it necessary to kill and maim before you can be labelled a terrorist? Or is the use of terror on the weak and helpless alone sufficient? Even if they are not killed or maimed.

For the sake of argument lets say that the use of terror with extra constitutional means on the weak and helpless is sufficient for the label of terrorism.

So does MCF use terror on the weak and helpless? Do they not attack the children via their proxies? Do they not encourage match fixing via unconstitutional means? Do they not assassinate your character and villify you in public should you dare to question them? Do they not tell you that you cannot win at selection but wait for your turn if you do not want to make enemies? Do they not tell you who you can go to for chess training or you will be attacked? Do they not try to ban your child if they feel threatened that your player may upset the back room deals? Do they support all these activities with the use of illegitimate power and authority outside of the Constitution?

Do they rob the Associations blind and if you question them then they will try to fix you, whether you are an official, parent, coach, trainer or player?

In a democracy everyone has a say. Terrorism does not condone that. In a democracy the Datuks and Neneks have a say. Ah Beng, Ah Kow, Samy, Muthu and Ali have a say. One vote each and you can attend the ceramahs, you can hear the arguments presented by all those fighting for office and then you make your own decision and cast your vote. Terrorism does not allow that. You have no say. They do not even need to explain to you.

They can rob you blind and if you dare to question, they will terrorise you. And in chess the vast majority are the children. They are learning all this together with their chess lessons. They are learning how terrorism works in every tournament where there is match fixing.

Is that not the case?

In chess, the major stakeholders are the parents and the players. Together they pay for everything and everyone within the chess industry. But they are given no respect and they are given no say. If they try to bring up a grievance, it is not solved. Instead they are terrorised.

You think I may have a point here? But lets not jump to conclusions here. Let us revisit some of the evidence from my following posting. And then let us go to the AGM and allow them to cross examine me and refute what I am saying here. Why have they not dared to answer even one of my questions? Is it because I don't have a vote in MCF? Have I been disenfranchised? Have I no rights in Malaysian chess? All they do is attack with no refutation.

The only legitimate way is to argue out with reason and explanations. And all have to follow the law as laid down in the Constitution. Otherwise you risk being labelled a terrorist organisation.

They leave our children's body intact but they have robbed them of their hopes and dreams. They have left our childrens body intact but they have killed off their spirit. And their weapon of choice is terror. Is this not true? Look at our older juniors now. What do you see? Do you remember them when they thought they could do anything? Do you remember them when they had hope and fire in their eyes? Who took all that away? Are they not terrorists or do the children have to die before we say anything or lift a hand to try to change things here at home first.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

No matter what you do in life you will always be faced with problems. That is why problem solving skills are important to develop. And that was really why chess was invented. The idea at that time was to teach the Generals basic concepts of war ie strategy etc without risking lives. Ergo, problem solving.

So what is a good problem and what is a bad problem? Let us look at bad problems first. A bad problem to have will be trying to find someone to push Jimmy's wheelchair at some future time in Malaysian chess because we cannot find a deal maker of his quality who is capable of both his PR and manufactured numbers expertise, and he is getting thrashed by the future generations of 2000's. And then even later still he will be hammered by the 1900's of the future. Make no mistake, chess will get tougher and tougher with the advent of the internet and knowledge abounding everywhere. Manufactured fat numbers has reached it's shelf life.

A bad problem is when we will still hear people complaining of fixed matches for the next 30 years. A bad problem will be when we return to the U15 again to promote because certain trainers just cannot learn and are unable to help our players move beyond that level in the International Arena but won't let others try. A bad problem is when our Associations are stripped of money that could have been used for development and the officials are running ragged trying to "fix" the accounts to avoid going to prison. And there are many more examples but you get the drift.

So a good problem? A good problem to have is when we are innundated with sponsors because we are producing results from the wonderful pool of talent that we are blessed with. The problem is in selecting which ones to take because they are all pounding on the door to share in our success. A good problem to have is when there are so many good players coming up that MCF is running ragged trying to arrange which Tournaments to send them to in order to develop them further. A good problem to have would be when MCF has so much money that they need to deeply study which is the best training module for our national players after having compared the training modules of the other Federations and finding the one that fits us best.

Etc. etc etc.

Is it apparent that before we can get to the good problems we need to solve the bad problems first? To do that won't we need good officials with skills and the ability to read and understand the Constitution? Won't we need to promote and encourage healthy practices like proper and fair selection?

Think on this. MCF has not solved any real problems since it's inception. Every year it's the same old problems. So we now have a culture that develops professional prevaricators. Pusing, pusing, pusing and we are still in the same spot while the World moves on. In real terms that means we are falling further and further behind.

Still don't believe me? Ask Jimmy and that big mouth Peter (who tries to ban our players without grounds and who tries to intimidate the entire Malaysian contingent with his RM1,500) to play one full year of proper Fide rated Tournaments in an open and tough field. Care to bet that they won't do any better and probably a lot worse than the older Juniors, the just ex-Juniors or even the other strong players that we have now? Their "M" means nothing but as a museum relic.

Solve the bad problems. That is what learning chess is all about. First you have to stop yourself from losing by having the right openings and understanding. Then you have the good problem of winning from a superior position etc. It's about time we did that isn't it? And then the good problems will come.

Lets just have a brief look at what chess is really about again. I wrote this in 2009 just before being elected to PICA. Here.

And we have MCF which is the sports body to govern the growth of chess in Malaysia. Now chess is primarily a family affair. The vast bulk of the players are children and only a few make it to the very top of chess. So what really is the function of a mental sports like chess; a co-curriculum activity even in schools. What is the general wisdom? Isn't it to teach them positive values? Are we not supposed to teach them good sportsmanship/fair play, honesty and keeping to the rules, the value of thinking through, the value of planning and training; the value of mental strength and hard work.

Isn't that what they are supposed to learn from chess whether they become a GM or Not?

So that is the big picture and this is the Constitution of MCF, Here. , which the committee is supposed to follow in the governance of chess but which they do not. Are we not supposed to bring up smart, law abiding citizens to bring Malaysia to the next level? But before we can do that, is MCF not supposed to be setting the example?

But what is MCF doing? I think the accounts is going to be very very revealing. It hasn't come out but most of us already know what it will show. We have already seen glimpses from Tse Pin's own admission. Here.

We already see the celebration and setting up as examples for the rest of our kids to follow in the back room boys. We saw the attacks on the Junior who did it the correct way by training and competing in a proper selection. We also saw the sabotage of the training program for our Juniors.

Think about this also. Chess teaches us how to solve problems within the rules. How to set goals etc. What example has MCF been showing us. Have they solved even one of the problems that has been plaguing us for the past 30 years plus? Have they taken any measures to correct mistakes or have they instead rewarded those that match fix, hold suspect tournaments, ban without grounds etc etc etc.

This is what they are teaching our children and the future leaders of Malaysia. So can we change this? Right now we have a section of chess that cannot read, cannot reason or think and almost for sure cannot stand tall in an International field.

Right now the only way to get an International level Malaysian in chess is if the culture of Fide is similar to the culture in Malaysian chess. Then we can strike a deal. MCF has plenty of experience there but not in improving our chess.

Caveat. If we look at our very youngest juniors we can see the tremendous talent and potential. I submit that the current culture in MCF and Malaysian chess in general not only does not develop them but instead bring them all up to be just like Jimmy. Is that a good thing? Look at how he got into the Olympiad team and how he performed there. Look at all the other things he has done to the juniors to enable him to still remain on the team.

So can we have a new and responsible MCF from the next AGM that truly serves to lead?

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

We just had a National event where our Federation VP Haslinda and her secretary Greg Lau were present to officiate. And the players came far and wide to fight for national prestige. With the presence of such a luminary with secretary in tow, why aren't their names published and splashed all over to honour their endeavour? Ordinary events are given more coverage and for this National event, even the secretary had his secretary in tow and still this is not done. Puzzling isn't it?

Question. Does the National rapid and blitz Champion get to represent the Country in International rapid and blitz tournments? After all MCF does not come up with the money. All they have to do is facilitate. But what are they doing instead? Let me hazard a guess here..... trying to "fix" the accounts?

Before I start on this topic, I had an anonymous person comment on the last post. Here. Since I do not allow anonymous comments I have deleted it. The point raised, apart from the usual nasties, was that World Youth is only up to U16. Again this is the result of too many years of the current culture of Malaysian chess where Chess stops you from being able to think, reason or read. But anyway try reading this here. Can you see U18 anywhere? Try reading again for if you cannot then your chess cannot progress. Chess is about thinking and a lot of knowledge can be gained from being able to read.

As I was saying in my last post our Associations are actively sabotaging our Juniors in order to preserve the interests of certain seniors long after their due dates. Still skeptical? Ok, try this then. Look at this post. Here.

This was sent to me by a friend in the Philippines. This is the Fide Zonals. The Juniors in the Philippines are encouraged to play there and the competition is very tough. But for us to qualify you need to be endorsed by MCF. Now the curious thing is that our Juniors are not even informed of the opportunity to play there. After U16, there is no more attempt to develop our players. And it is the U18 and U20's that are closest to moving us to the next level. But we don't even give them this information and MCF does not facilitate for their participation and growth.

An aside: This is a little like the culture in PICA during my time in 2009. Many players were not even informed of NAG at that time. But this has since changed. Imagine that, its only been a short time since then.

So we need change at the Federation level too. Information like this must be given out to our Junior players. Can you imagine the shame of it all that I am informed of this by a foreign source? MCF must facilitate the development of our older Juniors by giving out information within their purvue.

MCF needs to have selection so that our Juniors and other more advanced players can compete for a place at the senior level. MCF must not make back door deals and protect the people who attack our Juniors when they win in selection.

And there is more. With the support of their Federation, some Philipino players are able to get private sponsorship to play in Tournaments around the region. I understand that this is also done in Indonesia. Here is Malaysia, MCF is reluctant to give out letters for players to get private sponsorship because they want the sponsors to pay into MCF and not to the players directly. And the reason for that? Well, think about it. Where do the money go to? I have even heard of a case where the sponsors money was "misappropriated". But to be fair this was not during Greg's time.

Anyway the accounts of MCF when it does come out will be very revealing of what MCF does with sponsors money.

Are you starting to see why Jimmy is still playing for Malaysia? Can he stop the Juniors by himself? Or will he need the support and collusion of certain officials, arbiters, organisers, trainers etc. Think about it.

Isn't it time we stopped this nonsense and start developing our amazing talent in Malaysia? Or do you really want to see Jimmy still playing for Malaysia after all our Juniors and other strong players have been sabotaged to facilitate for his holidays? And then you have to grimace and bear with their claims that they love chess, they are doing it all for the love of the game. And they are serving to lead etc etc. Serving whom?

Monday, November 19, 2012

As you can see on the link above, MCF only made a call for the U16's. Now why query this?

Lets say MCF is actually trying to develop Malaysian chess. Now if this was the case wouldn't we see this? World Youth is also open to the U18. Why is there only one U18 from Malaysia present? Why was there no general call for the other U18 Juniors?

Consider this. The parents pay for everything. MCF actually charges a management fee to the parents. So why not open it up? MCF is not paying.

The official players are one thing. So ok, MCF says the NAG Champ is to be the official player. Fine if that is what the organisers are offering. One free place per category. But why pass up the U18?

I also know there are players there who are not official. That is fine too. The parents are investing for their future and maybe they will do better next year after the exposure. But again why not let the chess community know about that too. Why not say that you can still go but unofficially. After all MCF doesn't come up with a cent.

Puzzling yes? Not so if this is the plan. Knock out the players that are close to challenging the seniors. Don't give them information, don't even give them a chance to improve, ban them without grounds etc etc. The idea is that Jimmy will still be in the senior team when he is in a wheelchair and then we need to send someone to push him around the tournament hall. If that is not the case, can you see any logic to this deliberate strategy to exclude our more senior Juniors?

Note: Aren't the U18 and the U20 the Juniors that are closest to replacing the seniors? Why abandon them after all the investment and training? Could that be the only reason why Jimmy is still playing for the Country? Do you remember how he did at the last Olympiad? How do we progress if the Juniors are not given the opportunity to overtake the seniors except via the back door?

Who is supporting this sabotage of our players? Who made the decision? Are you proud of yourself? Do you go around saying that you are "sacrificing" yourself for Malaysian chess? That you are serving to lead.

Note: If you are still not convinced, do you remember what happened to Sumant when he actually trained and fought for his place in the senior squad? Was he congratulated for a job well done after he qualified? Or was he attacked mercilessly?

Work this out and you will see why no GM will come under this MCF. Put yourself in Sumant's shoe for a minute and you will understand what they did to him.

From what I know, we have a new Deputy President, a new Vice President, a new Treasurer and even new committee members. But somehow their names are not there although they were appointed some time back. So their occlusion is interesting. Does this mean that the people who are on the list today will be approving the accounts? So what is the game? This will be interesting. Berani buat berani tanggung.

The very first bad idea is to bring into the key posts of our Federation committee members who are financially insolvent and/or do not have the knowledge or skills to contribute to the governance of Malaysian chess. Go back to article 4 on Aims and Objectives. 4.1 says MCF is to govern and 4.2 says MCF is the sole authority in chess vested by COS. The big big question before us is whether MCF has governed Malaysian chess or it's been hijacked to protect illegal and unprincipled activities. Have you known MCF to act against any of the complaints brought to it's attention or has MCF been used to squash legitimate complaints and to attack private organisers/trainer/coaches and players that are not in the "inner" circle.

Now why would that be and how did it come about?

The second very bad idea is that certain people with influence can "select" a player to promote like one chooses a horse to back. On the surface it may look like a good idea but our years of experience have told us that it doesn't work. A horse is not a human being. You give the horse a good trainer, manager and the correct nutrition etc and the horse performs if you have selected wisely. But the horse doesn't look for the short cuts like some humans. The horse does not come up with ideas on how to fix the system so that the horse has manufactured numbers, can bypass selection or fix matches to get a free holiday etc etc. So the best way is still open and fair selection as stated in the Constitution. Yes?

Now if we combine the 2 very bad ideas, we can now get a good picture of Malaysian chess. On the one hand we have officials that do not know what they are doing and is in need of money to survive and on the other we have back door players who cannot play competitive chess anymore. And these players now become arbiters, trainers, organisers and finally officials themselves.

See the pattern?

So what happens when we have back door players who become trainers also? They know that their reputation is dependent on them producing results. And they haven't got a clue on how to help our players win after U15.

(An aside: See here for an example. He is paid to go and help Roshan. But what does he do there instead? And he still talks rubbish. Like I have been saying, incapable of learning but wants to teach and tell the rest of us what to do. And if you don't pay him any attention he bans your child without grounds and against the very Constitution that he "ratified").

Would they now start little stories of how bad the juniors are, all washed out etc, because they really cannot bring the level of the juniors up. Would they be tempted to start PR campaigns and learn how to prevaricate and lie to hide their zero results? Would they begin to start thinking of fixing matches, subverting selection in collusion with officials? And finally would they not join/form the Associations or be close to the Associations where they will meet officials that are badly in need of money.

You think?

So what happens to the governance? Would sabotage now become the name of the game? Lousy trainers and poverty stricken officials. And what do you think would happen to an organiser who brings in a program to train our Juniors by a GM?

The AGM is coming. We have a chance to fix things, to put in people who can develop Malaysian chess. Choose wisely. Make sure that those people who have been destroying Malaysian chess are no longer in positions to do more damage. We cannot afford another 30 years of failure.

Actually I have been telling my friends that we have enough resources to develop our talents. MCF has money. But we do not have enough money for their greed. I hear the accounts should be coming out soon. I am waiting to see who will approve the accounts. That will be interesting. In Malay they say, berani buat berani tanggung.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

I hope you will be able to provide us in the chess community some answers at the coming AGM. The questions I ask below is not exhaustive but I hope it will be a fair representation of the questions on our minds. It is hoped that you will endeavour to give us some sensible answers.

It is understood that the Constitution above has been ratified since 2009 and so I believe it is reasonable that MCF abides by the code of conduct therein from that date irrespective of whether your affiliates endorsed the same Constitution at different times subsequently.

It is our understanding that the previous meeting of MCF was in January before the last 9th Nov 2012 meeting. Can I ask here if the minutes to the January meeting was ratified on the 9th Nov? I ask this question simply because I have had bad experiences with doctored minutes from my days in PICA. Ref: Here.

So here are the questions:

Many questionable decisions have been brought up since the last meeting in January. So can we assume that the meeting in January has given the explicit authorisation to certain individuals to make decisions on behalf of the entire committee?

I ask this question because I was informed that a meeting was called for the Olympiad selection but it was cancelled at the last minute. So in the absence of the authorisation I have to assume that this approval must have been explicitly given at some previous meeting according to the Constitution. Otherwise the person responsible for the decision to call a fraudulent selection must be held accountable for using illicit authority to cheat the chess community.

Other questions pertains to the accounts. We have the accusation levied by Tse Pin. Here. Can we ask who authorised Tse Pin to collect the Rating fees in his private account? The Constitution specifically states that any amount greater than RM200 needs to be referred to the main committee. So there must be a resolution approving this action or the person responsible and/or Tse Pin must be held accountable. Surely Tse Pin's argument that he will present the accounts for the President's eye only must be in error. There is no provision in the constitution for that.

And then of course we also come to the other accounts. Asian Amateur and Melaka. Both events involved money from Fide and/or Asian Confederation as well as other sponsors. Is the main committee aware of structure of the negotiated deals on MCF's behalf? Especially since there is speculation of the involvement of other sponsors as well.

Surely all these events are properly documented and every cent accounted for. Let me explain why?

Fiduciary mismanagement is a jailable offence. Now the officer in charge which I assume is the treasurer has to justify every cent spent and document every cent received and it needs to be backed by appropriate documentation of authority in the form of resolutions etc.

Let me ask a few other questions here. Who approved Greg's and Haslinda's Fide Organisers Course? Was MCF money used at all? Was there proper approval?

But let me end here with another question before this gets too long. MCF has the powers to discipline. Why is it that no action has been taken to investigate highlighted suspect tournaments brought to your attention as well as apparent abuse of the general public in the form mentioned here. Why has nothing been done about unconstitutional bannings? Etc etc.

I hear we are very close to being delisted. Just too much rubbish to bury. So the final question to the committee is whether you intend to rectify past mistakes or if you intend to carry on with business as normal. For really if you do not admit to those mistakes and show us how you hope to improve things for the chess community, it may be better if MCF is delisted. You need to address our concerns and meet us part way.

More dirty tricks and intimidation is not going to work any more. Show us you intend to improve and we can try to solve things within the family or else you need to take the responsibility for the failure of Malaysian chess and the impending delisting of MCF. Stop looking for scapegoats. It won't work anymore.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I do agree with the gist that seeking positions in MCF is national service. Serve to lead as Peter says. But I am still skeptical if Peter is the right messenger for this message. So let me ask Peter a few questions here. Peter, is KLCA an association for Kuala Lumpur and is representative of its voice or is it just yours? You are Kuala Lumpur personified.

Why did you support a fraudulent selection for the Olympiad? And if you would be so kind as to publish your justification for banning without grounds again, I would be grateful. There is no point making seemingly progressive ideas on your blog while surreptitiously doing things against the constitution of MCF.

Otherwise it would seem to me that it is indeed a silly season when the pot starts calling the kettle black. Turn a new leaf Peter and then keep quiet for a while. When we see you have some credibility again, then talk. You may be more believable then.

ps: Have you ever stopped to consider that it is a thankless task because you guys have produced no real results but refuse to learn or improve?

Learning good habits is very important in the development of your chess. In Malaysia we need to learn to reward those that work hard and not those that come in from the back doors or play in suspect tournaments to get certain results. Selection must be based on open and fair competition as stated in the constitution of MCF and not from hidden deals coming from illegitimate authority. There was no mandate from the committee of MCF for the Olympiad selection. That was a farce and a fraud perpetuated on the Malaysian chess community.

Now apply it to the situation in Malaysian chess I have been describing. Now is it possible that the characters I have been talking about actually craving for recognition? Nothing wrong with that if the recognition is truly deserved. So that is the reward they are craving for. But what happens when they have been mentally defeated but still want that reward? Now this is the interesting part.

They know that producing results is the surest way to getting their reward but they cannot face the demons that have defeated them time and time again. And instead of overcoming their fears and working out how to improve their chess they now find another way to getting that reward. Is this what is happening? Judge for yourself.

From here we see that we have a rising star in U8 Goh Jie Yee. So the first question must be who is her trainer? Results. That's what we want, not inflated self opinion. Of course as Peter pointed out, at that age group some accidents can happen so how far she will travel from here will be based on the few factors mentioned below.

One will be the technical input of a trainer that is in touch with the game of chess in today's world. Lets face facts, Jimmy and Peter just doesn't cut it anymore. Both of them would be trashed even at the U15 level in today's world standard. Peter most likely won't even get 3 points at this stage. That is the primary reason why the vast majority of parents of national juniors use foreign trainers and online resources. At least they are current. My personal belief is to use different trainers according to the players needs which will differ from their particular giftings and their stage of growth.

Peter says he respects the opinions of parents. Words. But his action belies his true opinion. His actions show that he thinks that only people like him and Jimmy can talk about chess. And of course I disagree and then he wants to ban my son against the rules of chess as stated in the Constitution of our Federation.

The second factor that will determine whether Jie Yee will progress further will be in the development of mental strength and deeper reasoning skills. Read here. So again the people to avoid will be trainers who are already defeated mentally, is unable to apply reasoning but instead rely on breaking the rules, belligerence and gangster methods.

The third and final barrier will be of course be at the Federation level. Do we support the players who work hard and train to improve their chess or do we support the back room boys. I say boys because this is more apparent with the guys as apposed to the girls although I have heard of strong chess girls who have disappeared from the radar out of sheer neglect. But in the boy's category we have more blatant discrimination and cheating. False selection, players brought in from outside the criteria and players bypassed even if they qualify from the stated criteria.

So many barriers and certain people with vested interests working against our own players. I hope you can now see the reasons why I say that change must happen in MCF for us to get our own strong International level players. Actually we need more parents of national juniors in our Associations but I place a caveat here. We need parents who will be fair to all our players and not parents who only just look out for their own kids. The parents of our national juniors are by far the biggest investors in Malaysian chess and they actually know more than our outdated trainers because they have invested more thinking into how to bring our juniors forward.

Look at the results again. What has the investment in technical alone brought our older players so far if they have lost their fighting spirit along the way? And who did this to them? Is it the parents according to Peter or is it what I mentioned above? The shame of it all. And he even has the audacity to try to divert the blame to us. Ref: Here. What are you doing there Peter? Ref: Here.

What was your stated aim and goal? Ref: Here. Do you not even have the fortitude to honour that?

Monday, November 12, 2012

In the last line of his post Peter conveniently blames the parents and the players. His overall analysis is also based on missing blocks of theory for the reasons why the players deteriorate as they grow older in Malaysia as opposed to other Countries where many grow stronger.

There is some truth of course. After all the best lies are those couched in half truths. There is truth that the culture fostered in the family structure does affect the child to a big extent. Whether there is a culture where the child is encouraged to explore ideas and the pursuit of excellence within the family or Not, does affect outcome. So ok, that is the truth of the matter which I can accept.

But note also, it is not absolute or there will be no one that can rise above their circumstances in history.

So let ask some questions here. Is Peter not a trainer that teaches the younger age groups? And if so could he not be imputing the necessary "theories" as a trainer for the younger age groups? So I don't think that is the problem. Perhaps the problem is that he is not successful in training the older age groups to compete in situations where mental strength as well as knowledge is needed. That seems to be the feedback I am getting from the national juniors who have been with him albeit for a short time.

He is correct in the implication that technical is just not enough as the kids grow up. When 2 players of about equal technical skills meet you need mental strength and correct preparation.

But he does not talk about the failures of the "ordained" trainers in Malaysia to improve in that understanding and becoming coaches instead of just trainers. He does not talk about the failure of our Associations in allowing back doors that takes the competitive spirit out of our players.

Actually the truth is the players can continue learning to the day they give up on chess (mentally or literally). So any theory deficit can be compensated in time. Age is not the determining factor. That is the FGM experience and we have demonstrated it in competition with Mark who came from nowhere to break into the junior squad at a much later age than the rest. This can happen so long as the fighting spirit of the player remains intact.

The other question I must ask Peter here is why did you take the assignment if you did not think you can be helpful in bringing Roshan up to the next level? Why take the money if you know you cannot deliver? You had already messed up when you promoted Li Tian over Roshan. Are you now saying that it is Roshan's parents fault that you are not successful?

Why don't you study the FGM experience with Sumant? We brought a junior to the senior level via proper selection. All it needed was to foster better mental strength, self belief and proper preparation. Technical remaining a constant.

Is that why you supported the withdrawal of selection? Is that why you need to ban players without grounds? Are you are unable to accomplish that with your players? Why not just improve yourself? I have published my methods so just read my blog and improve yourself. What is so difficult about that? You just need to change right? And I have given you the road map.

So please stop blaming others and making cheap excuses Peter. Look at yourself.

Lets look deeper at what a game of chess really is. Would you agree that even with good technical skills you can lose a game or a tournament? If so, how does this happen?

Chess is really 2 sides presenting an argument. White has his perspective and Black has another. Many times both sides think they are winning, particularly in a tough game. But objectively one side is winning as best illustrated by chess engines like fritz etc.

And so the debate rages and the final outcome will be he who has the more objective evaluation.

Now comes the mind games. I am a M; you are all washed out by 15yo and you don't deserve to be opposite me; if you win you will make enemies, wait your turn; if you win I will ban you; I will make your life hell when you are alone in the team event; I will make sure that you never enter the back door and I am in control there etc etc etc.

And in the debate I will lie, I will attack your character, I will twist and turn. I will use all necessary to intimidate till you cannot see the truth.

Mental strength. This is what our players do not have. And without this we will not be able to climb out of our rut. The match fixing seniors dare not compete anymore. They are frightened of competition and so they use all the methods mentioned above to prevent new players from replacing them.

Now we have the Constitution of MCF that says very clearly that they are rule and law breakers. And there will be an AGM where they will try to use the methods above to get out of the jam they are in. One wrong step and somebody or a few can go to prison. So will they come clean and do the honourable thing or will they think they can bluff and intimidate their way out of this too.

Now it is in black and white in the form of the Constitution. If they do succeed in getting out it will say a lot of what they have managed to do to the parents of juniors, juniors and the other chess players in Malaysia. Development or destruction?

Mental strength. Do our players have it? What do the facts say? I will present you with a list of questions that MCF has to answer for on my next posting. Look at that and then look at the Constitution.

Now if these people cannot follow the law, what do you think they are teaching our children? What does short cuts and back doors and rule and law breaking produce? Mental giants or possible criminals?

With this understanding of the position (situation), what will you do? Will you let them jedi mind trick you into thinking you are losing? Will you let them get away with a draw to continue to do this for the next 30 plus years? What is the cost to Malaysian chess if this is to happen? What will happen to all the kids coming into chess now? The previous U18 Juniors are practically wiped out.

What will happen to the amazing talent of the now U16 and the generations to come. Will we be pushing Jimmy to future Olympiads in his wheel chair in years to come now that even the engine of his kup chai has fallen off? Will Peter make a come back to represent Malaysia? Do you think it is possible that the U15 there are already far ahead of him in knowledge and skill? Maybe not in bluff and belligerence. Is that why he has already prepared his excuses?

Which will take us further? Knowledge, skill and mental strength or just sheer bluff and intimidation with some judiciously added bannings. Lets see the World Youth results. Some of it is already showing and Peter is talking about quality of rooms etc. Go to his site and see where his mind is. Here.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

We are a chess community crying for success. For years the same old questions have been asked; where is our own GM? Why is it that Countries with far less resources than us can produce so many and we cannot even get one? Why are we slipping further and further behind our neighbours?

And the answer has been starring at us in our face.

CULTURE

Let us look at our culture first. FGM started a training program for our Juniors and we and our sponsors were attacked and the program stopped in its tracks. FGM produced a National Junior from Perak and the player is attacked and banned from a Tournament. FGM coached a National Junior who won his place via proper selection in the senior squad and he is attacked all over the place.

Lets think about it. Sumant trained and got the formula right and he got his position on merit and not through the back door. Shouldn't we have congratulated him instead? Wasn't that a marvelous achievement? So why was he threatened to wait his turn or make enemies? What is the message to him and to the other players? Why was Sumant not rewarded but punished for his courage and good chess.

An aside: They also attacked me and said I am not a trainer. I never claimed to be a technical trainer. I am a Coach. I find the right trainer for my players according to their needs and gifting. I did that in the case of Mark. In Sumant's case I fixed what needed to be fixed so he can excel at that selection. I worked on his mental strength and self belief. In other words I produced the results according to objective measures by working on the parts that needs working on.

But instead it is the back door boys that are celebrated. And our real hero is left floundering. I just heard Sumant pulled out of Nf6 tournament. And that is why we have no GM, they have all been sabotaged. Sponsorship and support should have poured to him as the only Junior to win his position in the senior squad via selection. Instead he was just used by certain people to attack me and then discarded.

If you look deeper, you will see that Malaysia does not support the U18 and U20 International events. Those guys are the closest to replacing our jaded M's. In fact I hear other Countries support their players even when they cross the 20 yo age. So long as they are still fighting, still improving. But we kill them off instead. We tell them that they are all washed out by 15yo unless they have the inside track by certain "fixers" for the back door.

CONSTITUTION.
MCF has a constitution but it is not followed at all. Abuses are encouraged and illegitimate authority used to suppress those that are striving for improvement whether official, player, organiser, trainer or Coach.

We are governed by rule and law breakers. And so we find suspect accounts or no accounts, we find fraudulent selections and we find match fixing. This has to stop so we can focus on developing Malaysian chess.

APPEAL
So we are now in a situation where there are a few people that can be punished by law when there is an investigation. I say when for it is but a question of time unless things change. And that will put MCF at risk of being delisted. And none of us want that. But we also do not want the abuses to continue. We do not want to see our strong players victimised to glorify weak players who dare not compete. That is not acceptable.

So I ask the person primarily responsible for this fiasco in this term to resign his position as Secretary. Do this to also protect those that have followed you blindly into breaking the law. We do not want a pound of flesh. We are not looking for vendettas. All we want is a fair and just MCF that will look after the interests of all in the Malaysian chess community.

What we want is for MCF to encourage Peter to improve himself as a trainer and bring Roshan to new heights. And if Peter does improve maybe one day he can even bring Roshan into the senior squad on merit. We want MCF to act against Peter if he tries to ban players without grounds and not to encourage his bad behaviour by giving him heavier responsibilities when he cannot even follow basic rules according to the constitution.

What we want is to see Jimmy coming back to the board in a proper selection and not the back door. We are not against anyone. All have a place and their rights BUT within the rules. Gens Una Sumus.
And we also want suspect tournaments investigated and the people responsible given fair warning or action will be taken.

But for all that to happen you have to go Greg. So that others too may be spared from prosecution. So that MCF may be spared from delisitng. If even one report goes out on your malpractices and the authorities step in and act, it will open a pandora's box and it cannot be handled within the family anymore. I hope you can understand this message. Do it for yourself too. Take the exit. This is a fair compromise after all the damage you have done.

Like many people I wanted to give the then new Secretary of MCF my support and the benefit of the doubt from 2009 onwards. More so when he supported my suggestions on selection for SEA games and we saw such a tremendous upsurge and revival in Malaysian chess as a direct result. Old players streaming back and tournaments were seeing record breaking numbers. And many organisers/trainers etc reaped the benefit of our work. How much more resounding proof can there be to show that selection is the way forward? But I held my breath. From my days in PICA, I know that Malaysian chess politics is not straight forward and the success of selection can cause adverse reactions.

So what changed my mind?

Read the constitution again. Does it say anywhere that the Secretary has any extraordinary powers? Doesn't it say that all power comes from the main committee? That the main committee can empower sub committees that reports back to them again. The Secretary's job is just to call for meetings. He has zero power apart from being another member with his one vote.

So why do I say he is ultimately responsible for all the ills befalling Malaysian chess. Was Greg's support of my suggestion for selection for the good of Malaysian chess or for something else? Lets see. We normally choose a President that is too busy and not equipped with the knowledge to understand the technicalities of chess. And we have committee members that have no clue as to what their responsibility is to the chess public. And both these conditions lead to the ability of one man to usurp all the power and authority vested in MCF.

So how does he do this? Lets take selection again. Now if the Secretary does not have the interest of Malaysian chess but his own pockets then this may happen. Now the threat of selection can bring the weak senior players to heel. He has done it once and he can do it again. All he needs is one player who's ego is bigger than his ability and not too bright to play ball. Now why do I say not bright? Isn't it obvious to Jimmy that we can all see his games at the Olympiad by now? Didn't we show that from the Olympiad before that when Greg and Peter played? So how could be possibly think that he can get away with his poor standard?

So the question is why allow Jimmy to make a fool of himself? It took the illegitimate power of the Secretary to allow this yes? There was no meeting by the main committee to sanction this. Abuse of power.

So what am I really saying? Greg uses a system of reward and punishment; he uses misinformation and corruption to get his illicit power. Observe. Jimmy is rewarded with the Olympiad without grounds or sanction for getting Zhuo Ren to write a slanderous email, for setting up ghost websites to attack the training of the juniors and to embarrass the organisers and their sponsors. He is also rewarded for attacking a junior who won his place at selection on merit. Reward and punishment. Greg cannot do it himself from MCF. He needs his fall guys. Remember Greg is also a trainer with his own personal ambitions.

Peter is rewarded for the banning of national players without grounds with National rapid and blitz. Then he overstepped the line by trying to set national policies and was punished. Once he is rehabilitated he is given HOD. Reward and punishment. MCF has a constitution and Greg cannot do that from his position. So he needs Peter to do his dirty work. Another not so bright fall guy.

Tse Pin is asked to take his money from a source that is not legitimate after not paying him for years although Greg is using MCF money lavishly without authorisation for his own personal benefit. Eg. Fide Organisers Course etc etc etc. I am almost sure that there is no main committee resolution authorising payment into a private account. How can the main committee possibly authorise the payment into a private account? It is against the constitution. And once Tse Pin takes that money, he is in the same boat. Corruption of morals. A new recruit in the making if he takes the money.

Greg doesn't even answer the emails of queries from his own superiors in MCF. Misinformation or witholding of information. But he uses the "authority" from the President to push his way around. I am fairly sure the President is not given the true picture of what is going on. Misinformation again. The President himself does not have all encompassing power. Read the Constitution again. He is just the Chairman. The authority is with the main committee.

Or was. Now more and more power is coming to Greg. He can now begin to do what he wishes no matter what the constitution says. Power from within MCF and power from the use of his well tamed cronies outside.

Enough? There are many more examples but then this will become a very thick book.

And so we see that wrong doings are rewarded. And genuine grievances are not acknowledged or resolved. Instead all those carefully nurtured cronies are used to punish if you even dare to say that this is against the constitution. He cannot use MCF to punish. (There is a Constitution). For that he needs his tamed cronies with their intimidation and gangster methods. But he can use MCF to make sure your complaints cannot see light of day by taking you around the mulberry bush. This ensures his cronies are protected.

And so we see how a position that actually has no power suddenly become all powerful. I hope this is enough for you to want to ensure that a good Secretary that really wants to develop Malaysian chess is put in at the next AGM or we will never recover our lost position in the chess world again. So who do we have that has that strength of character? The Secretary will face a lot of pressure and he will need the support of a strong President and good Ajk's or he wont last. So all those that love Malaysian chess and want to see improvements need to think about this and we need to do what we can to ensure this corruption ends for good this time.

We cannot have a culture where the weak are rewarded and the strong attacked and broken with the authority vested in our Federation by law and still want our own GM. This defies logic and common sense. I think that should be obvious. For that is really the reason why we are falling further and further behind despite our amazingly talented players and vast resources.

You think?

Isn't it the correct way that we reward our strong players who dare to train, to compete and fight and to reward the officials that are conscientious and clean? And to support the good organisers and trainer/coaches that brings in results not from match fixing. To go forward not backwards. That's the way. The front door and not the back door.

Isn't that what we want to show our kids too? Isn't that what we want them to learn? That success can be achieved without breaking the rules or the law. What is Greg and his cronies showing them now?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Every cent of the Association belongs to the public. And this is the section that can lead to criminal breach of trust and severe consequences including imprisonment.

Lets go back to Tse Pin's public statement again. Article 20 says that any amount over RM200 needs to have the approval of the main committee. This means it cannot be for the President's eye only. Do you see the similarity between this practice and the one in PICA? Ref: Here.

Remember MCF ratified this Constitution on the 29/9/2008. I will allow that PICA had not yet ratified this Constitution in 2009 although this may not be true. Actually nobody in PICA's committee was given information on the status of COS admission as Dr Yee (past President and Treasurer in the new committee) was solely in charge of that at the time but was not giving the information out to the rest of the committee. But MCF itself cannot say this.

So accounts will be a big issue if my feedback is correct as to why the meeting was changed to the 9th of this month. I was informed that the speculation is that the date is meant to exclude certain officials who have been questioning the accounts.

And there is a lot of unanswered questions regarding the accounts. This includes the question raised by Fadli regarding the payment of Rating fees to a private account but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

As I have said many times but I will repeat it again here, I am not in favour of harsh punishment for the many many many accusations of offenses that have been levied against MCF. What I hope for is an accommodation so we may build a better future for Malaysian chess. But this accommodation must include removing the key official responsible for this mess in the current term from his position of influence, to a place where he can do no further harm. And he should not be replaced by any who have practiced match fixing and abuse of power in the past as well. By this I mean the post of the Secretary. We need someone who is fair to all and cannot be intimidated or bribed into excesses.

I hope this can be discussed in the coming meeting. There is just too much to sweep under the carpet now and this is the best recourse I can think of to prevent escalation. As somebody pointed out on facebook, if we are to punish all of them, quite a few will find themselves behind bars. I agree with him.

So those of them who have been damaging Malaysian chess have to also agree that they must not try to sabotage any new improvements by the new committee elected after AGM. The abuse has to stop.

I hope this suggestion will be acceptable to all involved.

All my best. For the success of Malaysian chess. May we reverse this disgraceful backsliding and be a regional force again. And from there grow from strength to strength. We have the talent and the resources if there are no more abuses. Thank you for your time.

I understand that half the contingent are new to International Tournament. For those of you who are new this will be an excellent exposure to World Standards. As for the rest I hope you set yourself lofty goals. You may or may not reach it but in the trying you will learn a lot about yourself. Stay strong throughout the game. Move after move. Stay strong throughout the tournament. Game after game. There may be reverses but mental strength means you can rebound and not let one upset infect the following games and the tournament.

All my best to the entire contingent including the Head of Delegation.

Peter, just do your job with no excuses and respect all the parents and players there. You have been given another chance to redeem yourself so don't blow it again. We will be watching with interest.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Now who is Peter Long? Some of you may not have heard of him as a trainer till Roshan came along.

Lets refer to article 4.10 of the Constitution of MCF. That "it's activities are conducted without discrimination ...... or any opinion held by its members". This means that you cannot ban anyone without objective grounds.

Peter Long is the organiser who bans our national players without justifiable grounds.

I had an altercation with Peter during Mal/Sing 2010. I could not abide the disrespect shown by him to the parents and players of the Malaysian contingent. Peter brought a small token as incentive. RM1,500. That is a small drop in the Ocean compared to what we parents have forked out but well appreciated by the players. But I did not feel that the dignity of the entire contingent could be bought for that small amount. In fact for any amount. He came in on the last day and tried to change the announced incentive and threatened to demoralise the players when we had all been working hard to keep morale up.

Instead of apologising for his bad behaviour, he labelled me a trouble maker and tried to ban Mark in his tournament. He is entitled to his opinion and maybe he is right as far as he is concerned. I do not like bullies and I have little regard for his ability to train at a high level. But he still cannot ban without grounds. He is entitled to his opinion just like I am too. This is stipulated in the Constitution.

But when I wrote to MCF, no action was taken despite the fact that it is not allowed under the constitution. Instead Peter was offered the National rapids and blitz where I presumed he would be encouraged to continue his banning ways. But as usual he blew it when he tried to determine national policy and it got taken away. I am given to understand that Mark is not the only player he treats that way according to some juniors and ex juniors. From that I infer the conclusion that Peter tries to ban anyone he does not like or does not take his nonsense.

Now why is this behaviour suspicious? Think about it. MCF itself cannot ban without grounds and according to article 4.7 they need to enforce their rules on its members but they are removed from MCF by one step. Plausible deniability. And they need someone who is a fall guy, someone not too bright. The suspicion? This is just another instrument to knock out players who they feel can threaten the position of the seniors or to attack parents who question their illicit activities. In this way they have gotten away with using our Associations for their selfish private gains. So Peter is the perfect guy for this. He meets all the requirements and he is already banning players he feels threatened by anyway.

An aside: It's a little like MCF officials cannot themselves offer the back doors. Too dangerous. So they also need someone not too bright to act as a go between. Plausible?

An off the cuff quiz. Does KLCA represent the great city of Kuala Lumpur or Polgar chess "university"?

And so we have a sterling example for our head of delegation in Slovenia.

Any ideas why they offer Peter HOD at this time? Like any ideas why the sudden need to pay Tse Pin now after starving him for so many years while a lot of money is unaccounted for during the same period?

Peter, I hope you have learnt from the events since Mal/Sing. The parents pay your bills. So just do your job. I sincerely hope you succeed with Roshan. He is our National Champion and his parents have given you a chance to show that you can train instead of just banning other strong players. Appreciate that. So don't worry about us following the games. We all know Roshan is a strong player. I assume you have taken the job believing that too. Your job is to take him to higher levels and not just to make excuses. Ref: Here. So if the results are not convincing, then you have failed not Roshan. Otherwise what do you think you are paid for? For him to perform at the same level? Then you might as well stay home and ask Roshan's family to save their money. Just admit that your level is too low to do him any good there.

So focus on improving yourself Peter. If you do maybe one day you can bring Roshan into the senior team via selection. The front door not the back one.

If you can do that, then you can regain your confidence. Get my drift Peter? Maybe not, so let me spell it out for you. Maybe one day Polgar Malaysia can grow up to become like FGM. Then maybe you won't feel the need to ban players better than the ones you can produce.

We are all going on the assumption that you have been given a talented junior to develop. So if something goes wrong it will probably point to the fact that you still have much to learn as a trainer.

Another thing Peter, I hear stories of you writing letters of appeal to parents of National Juniors to give you a chance to train them. No need to beg Peter. Just show results. They will be watching with interest too. So will I. If you succeed then I hope our players will be able to play one another in a test of their skills and not the banning of players from each other's tournaments.

And forget trying to justify your bannings to parents. You are not believed. And now they even have the constitution to see for themselves. And that just makes you a liar.

Try to improve instead Peter. It's a much better way than those cheap tricks to fill your classes. Good luck. Remember you have been given yet another chance from the kind heart of Roshan's dad and not from any "accomplishments" of your own. In my personal opinion again, they have taken a big risk with you. So try to justify his faith in you. You may not get another chance to prove yourself as a good trainer to parents if you mess this up too.

And please don't embarass us with more examples of bad behaviour as HOD at World Youth k? Respect the parents and players there.